Psalm 23— Line By Line Breakdown
- The Lord is my shepherd = Relationship — I lack nothing= Supply.
- He makes me lie down in green pastures= Rest — He leads me beside quiet waters= refreshment.
- He refreshes my soul= Healing— He guides me along the right path= Guidance — For his name’s sake= Purpose.
- Even though I walk through the darkest valley= Testing — I will fear no evil= Protection — For you are with me= Faithfulness — Your rod and your staff, they comfort me= Discipline.
- You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies= Hope — You anoint my head with oil= Consecration — My cup overflows= Abundance.
- Surely your goodness and Love will follow me all the days of my life= Blessings — And I will dwell in the house of the Lord= Security — Forever= Eternity. (NIV) .
The Lord is a shepherd for his people; the sheep (Us) are dependent of the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. We are to be obedient, and wise enough to follow the one who will lead us to the right places and in the right ways. Sheep are not the smartest animals— they often wander, get lost or stuck. Basically, sheep can’t save themselves; We the sheep, fall into sin at times, as we are sinners. God knows that green pastures and quiet waters will restore us if we follow him.
Death is very frightening; we struggle with our enemies such as pain, suffering, disease, disability, injury, poverty etc. Only God can get us through to the other side of the valley. God gives us protection even when we are faced by our enemies. As believers we will live with the Lord in his house forever. God Loves, Provides, Disciplines, Comforts, Cares, and Gives Us Rest. He leads the lost sheep home. He wants to have a relationship with us.
Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash
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Innerdialects
Ohhh this, so rich in His mercy
Carol
I love the 23rd Psalm. Wonderful words of explanation too!
SimplyCoffeeandJesus;ByPaula
Thank you so much Carol. Thank you for visiting.
Neicy
Thank you for the breakdown. It was very helpful.
SimplyCoffeeandJesus;ByPaula
You’re most welcome ❤️
Carol
This is such an interesting analysis of the well-known psalm. Attaching a single word to each line or phrase — relationship/supply/rest/healing/guidance, etc. — is an interesting way to point out the message of the psalm in a way that our 21st century brains (influenced by scrolling through the internet) can grab onto its essence.
Carol
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SimplyCoffeeandJesus;ByPaula
Thank you so much Carol. Thanks for visiting. Blessings.
Siv Ricketts
I’m reading an advance copy or KJ Ramsey’s book, The Lord is My Courage, which comes out next week. It’s an excellent deep-dive into Psalm 23. Highly recommend!
Siv Ricketts recently posted…You don’t have to guess… You are Loved!
SimplyCoffeeandJesus;ByPaula
Thank you for the recommendation, I’m going to have to look this up.
Vuyo
Thank you my fellow brothers and sisters this breakthrough was so helpful